A BRACE from midfielder, Titus Chansa has propelled Mutondo Stars to second position on the MTN Zambia Premier League table after defeating Forest Rangers 2-1 in a Week-8 fixture at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola yesterday.
It took Chansa just 13 minutes to break the deadlock in the first stanza of the lunch time kick off before Ian Sindaye scored the equaliser for Forest Rangers eight minutes after the half hour mark.
Chansa scored the winning goal from a penalty won after Isaac Muzulu committed a foul inside the box and was given a straight red card two minutes before the hour mark to guarantee a fourth consecutive win for Mutondo Stars.
Forest Rangers’s hopes of rescuing a point from the match suffered another setback when the Mwenya Chipepo drilled side were reduced to nine men after Clement Mulenga was sent off for a second bookable offence in the dying minutes of the game.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow but it’s football, we have to forge ahead and stay focused. It is unfortunate that despite the injuries we have, we still managed to play against a red card and unplanned substitute but it is part of the game. We just have to stay focused and keep fighting,” Forest Rangers assistant coach Manchi Janza said in an interview later.
Mutondo, who defeated Mufulira Wanderers, Red Arrows, and Indeni before their latest win, dislodged Power Dynamos on second position after accumulating 15 points.
Meanwhile, in the second fixture of the double header at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, league leaders ZESCO United reclaimed their four points lead at the summit of the Super League table after beating Indeni FC 1-0 in a tightly contested Ndola derby.
A 93rd minute goal from Dennis Nya secured the win for the Ndola giants who escalated to 19 points.
Defeat angered coach Tennant Chembo who complained of poor officiating by the referee.
“We are disappointed because we are yet to win a game and we thought we could get something from this game. Credit goes to the boys, they fought up to the last drop but unfortunately we had a red card, a questionable red card which affected us. However the damage is done and we just have to keep on fighting,” said Chembo.
The defeat left Indeni sitting bottom on the log with only one point collected from one draw and seven defeats in eight games.
At Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka, a lone first half goal from Samson Malaya was enough to hand the “Bad Boys” maximum three points after beating Green Eagles 1-0.
The win pushed the Brian Kunsenema tutored Atletico Lusaka to sixth on the log with 12 points, on par with fifth placed Green Buffaloes who have a healthier goal deference.
Meanwhile, Eagles missed a chance to move into top four after the defeat which relegated them to 11th position on ten points.
